Improved construction of war-vessels



l JUNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH VOODBURY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

EMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF WAR-VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,802, dated March 1,1864.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH 1). WooDBUnv, of Boston, inthe county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Construction of WarVessels; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a midship section, and Fig 2 a sheer plan 7 or sideelevation.

Like parts are indicated by the saine letters in both figures. u

My improvement relates more particularly to what are known as iron-clad,armorclad, or plated 7 war-vessels, the great practical objection towhich is, first, if the armorclad or plated sides and deck of such avessel are raised but slightly (a foot or two) above the water-level, asin the monitor boats, it has not sufficient buoyancy for a good seagoingship, and necessarily ai'ords low, cramped, dark, and unwholesonlequarters for officers and crew; and second, if the armorclad or platedsides and deck of such a vessel are raised sufiicientl y high above thewater-line (ten feet, more or less) to afford the requisite sea-goingqualities, the ship must be comparatively heavy, crank, of deep draft,and neoessarily very large and expensive.

The nature of my invention therefore consists in so constructing awar-vessel as to have while in action all the advantages ot' anyironclad, armor clad, or plated vessel inuse, and at the same time aiordthe requisite qualities for a good sea-going vessel, as well as storageroom and healthy quarters for officers and men, which object Iaccomplish by making an invulnerable deck raised a little (a foot ortwo) above the water-level, the sides of the vessel being armor clad orplated downward from said deck in the usual manner, and by continuingupward from said deck ten feet (more or less) the sides and ends of thevessel to the upper or spar deck of any suitable material, (wood ormetal,) only suifreiently strong and thick to withstand the action ofthe sea, and presenting as little resistance as possible to shot andshell while in action, the space between said invulnerable deck and theupper or spar deck affording the storage and necessary quarters forofficers and men, thus making in all respects a perfect war-vessel,offensive, defensive, seaworthy, comfortable, and healthy.

My improvement further consists in comibining with a vessel thusconstructed a submarine gun or guns substantially such as described inthe patent granted to me by the United States of America, May 6, 1862,and numbered 35,193, to which more particular reference is made.

My improvement also further consists in casemated battery or batteries,a turret, or a revolving battery or batteries, such, for instance, asthat described in the Letters Patent of the United States granted toJohn Ridge-` way, October 2l, 1862, to which more particular referenceis made.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, lwill now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Ais the hull, collstructed, in the usual manner, of wood or iron.

B is the main deck, ot' sufficient strength to receive and support thedeck armor or plating and assist the same in resisting the iinpact ofshot.

C is the side armor or plating, of any suitable material, of sul'iicientstrength to with stand the effect of shot and shell.

D is the deck armor or plating, of any suit able material, of sufficientstrength to withstand the effect of shot and shell.

E E are the sides ofthe vessel above the bombproof deck D, of wood ormetal, and of only sufcient strength to withstand the action of the sea,while they otter as little resistance as possible to the passage of shotand shell.

F is the upper or spar deck, of the same material as the sides E E.

G is a bombproof casemate, a turret, or a revolving-.battery of anydescription, as, for instance, the revolving battery patented in theUnited States by John Ridgeway, dated October 21, 1862, and numbered36,730, to which more particular reference is made.

H, Fig. 2, represents a shot proof pilothouse, fr om which the wholevessel is directed and governed, being provided with an aperture toaffordingress and egress for the oicers and crew at the top, which maybe opened and closed, and from which pilot-house the submarine gun orguns can be directed, to be combining with a vessel thus constructed ared by means of a speaking-tube, or Iired directly by the officerpulling a wire attached to the lock of the same. The pilot-house is alsoprovided with peep-holes for observa- .tion, and furnished with pipes,through which and twin propellers, one under each counter astern, ofsutticient power to propel the vessel with great speed or turn itquicklyaround at will.

y The Vspace between D and F is intended to be' occupied by the officersand crew, except in time of action, the sides and top of which space,being built of light niateria-ls and with suficient lights and openingsfor ventilation, afford dry, healthy, and comfortable quarters.v

There should be constructed just above the bomb-proof deck scupier-holes with suitable 'valves or Stoppers opening outward of sufficientnumber and size to free said deck from water in case that openingsshould be made by shot in action so as to admit water in a rough sea,said valves or stoppers being so constructed as'to open automaticallyoutward by the pressure ot' water from the deck and close automaticallyby the external pressure of the water.

In time of action the berths, hammocks, and other furniture may be.carried below the bomb-proof deck, so that shot and shell may passthrough and through the sides E E without doing any other damage thansimply making holes, which can be readily stopped after the action isover. Y In time of action the oicers and crew are also in the bomb prooftower, pilot-house, or below the bombproof deck.

y I propose to use on vthe spardeck light longrange riied cannon mountedon pivots en bar betie.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

In a vessel constructed with a vulnerable upper deck and sides above aninvul'nerahl'e lower deck and plated bottom, resting a battery orbatteries immediately on or below said invulnerable deck, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

JOSEPH r. woonBUnY.

- Witnessesz' l N. AMES.

J As. F. ELLIS.

